The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Generally, a number of pulleys having various functions are installed at a front side of an engine of a vehicle. These pulleys may include a crank pulley fixed to a crank shaft, a pulley of an alternator for supplying power to a vehicle, a pulley of a water pump mounted in order to aid in cooling an engine that is heated, and the like. In most cases, these pulleys are connected to each other by a timing belt.
A timing belt cover that may block foreign materials from being introduced into the timing belt and the pulleys may be installed at a front portion of the engine. In addition, a support bracket for mounting an engine mount may be installed at a front side of the timing belt cover.
The timing belt cover may be formed of a plastic material, the support bracket may be formed of a metal material such as aluminum, or the like. We have found that interference (or thermal interference), or the like, may occur between the timing belt cover and the support bracket, and we have found that the timing belt cover and the support bracket may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined gap (approximately 10 mm or more) in order to avoid the interference.
However, we have also discovered that due to the spacing between the timing belt cover and the support bracket, sealing performance for the timing belt, or the like, may be deteriorated.
In addition, an entire length of the engine may be increased due to the spacing between the timing belt cover and the support bracket, and it is difficult to secure a space in which the engine is to be installed within a vehicle body due to the increase in the length of the engine described above.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.